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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. squash — the sport
  4. board — a committee
  5. squash — to crush
  6. firm — a company
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. clip — to cut
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. board — to get on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. drill — army training
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. clip — for paper
  18. fine — all right
  19. clip — a video
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fine — high quality
  22. firm — decided
  23. drill — the tool
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com